Volume 7, Chapter 435 – He Was Actually Instantly Defeated

“How about this young master lets you lowly commoners of inferior bloodline taste despair first? This must be the so-called ‘Number One Immortal Seed’ of your Western Radiance Dynasty, right?”

Lü Er turned his gaze back to Cheng Kang, his voice dripping with disdain. “Tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll send you back to your ancestors right away.”

“Such arrogance! It’s you who should be sent back!”

Cheng Kang retorted while retrieving a talisman from his spatial ring and pressing it against his body. Instantly, a powerful divine sense barrier enveloped him. Clearly, this was a protective talisman.

‘Has this guy been scared out of his wits by me?’

Qi Huang was stunned. Cheng Kang’s actions clearly indicated his fear of encountering another unorthodox cultivator like her.

“Starting off with a talisman? Did you think I was like that one-trick pony Qi Huang, relying on a single gimmick? How laughable.”

Lü Er sneered, utterly unimpressed.

“We’ll see who’s laughing after the fight.”

Cheng Kang refused to back down verbally.

“Cheng Kang, you’ve got this! Today, every cultivator of the Western Radiance Dynasty stands with you!”

“You’re our dynasty’s top Immortal Seed! You must defeat him, or else all of us local cultivators will lose face!”

“If you lose, we’ll make the Sixth Princess the new leader of our younger generation. From then on, you’ll only be allowed to lose to her in duels. Otherwise, prepare to be ganged up on!”

Disciples from various sects below shouted words of encouragement, mixing both support and threats.

“Pathetic. To place your hopes on such trash.”

A look of pity crossed Lü Er’s face.

“Are both of you ready?”

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An Immortal Alliance disciple confirmed. Once the two nodded, he solemnly announced:

“The final match of the third round, Contestant Fifteen versus Contestant Sixteen, begins now!”

Before his voice even faded, Lü Er’s muscular legs stomped against the ground. As the granite beneath him shattered, his figure vanished from sight, moving so fast that the naked eye couldn’t even track his trajectory.

“Such terrifying speed!”

This thought flashed through the minds of everyone present.

Qi Huang was equally shocked. His speed had reached the peak of the Incarnation Realm. While it was still far inferior to hers, one had to remember, this was merely a doppelgänger. How strong must the main body be?

‘Cheng Kang has lost!’

This was Qi Huang’s immediate conclusion. She knew Lü Er couldn’t possibly be a “cripple” like her. His strength was undoubtedly a genuine peak Incarnation Realm. Meanwhile, Cheng Kang was only at the fifth layer of the Incarnation Realm. With such a massive gap, no amount of talent could bridge it. He was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Cheng Kang’s heart was also filled with terror. Though his divine sense could lock onto Lü Er’s figure, he knew his own strength was utterly insufficient to evade the attack. It was like a child trying to swing a sledgehammer, his body simply couldn’t keep up.

Yet, Cheng Kang wasn’t completely without hope. A sliver of delusion remained. Perhaps Lü Er, like Qi Huang, had taken some unorthodox shortcut. If so, his speed would inevitably drop the moment he attacked, giving Cheng Kang his only chance to counter.

Thus, Cheng Kang immediately circulated his true qi, and a faint yellow protective armor began forming over his body.

But by then, Lü Er was already upon him. His fist, though not particularly large, carried a terrifying howl as it tore through the air, friction nearly igniting the atmosphere. Without any fancy techniques, it smashed straight toward Cheng Kang.

Crack!

The divine sense barrier shattered upon contact. After all, divine sense was primarily a defense against spiritual attacks, its ability to resist physical force was extremely limited.

“Damn it!”

In that instant, Cheng Kang realized his mistake. Lü Er wasn’t relying on any shortcuts, his cultivation was legitimately at the peak of the Incarnation Realm.

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‘How is this possible? If a mere doppelgänger is at the peak of the Incarnation Realm, then how strong must his main body be?’

This was Cheng Kang’s final thought before Lü Er’s fist slammed into his chest.

Thud!

A dull impact echoed as the half-formed earthen armor crumbled like dried mud. The fist struck true.

Snap!

Another crisp sound, the sound of bones breaking, rang out as Cheng Kang’s body was sent flying like a ragged sack. Blood gushed from his mouth like a fountain, raining down upon the cultivators below.

The disciples from various sects scattered in panic, desperate to avoid the bloody shower.

“Disciple!”

Ye Donglai cried out in alarm, darting forward with movement techniques to catch him.

“I thought you’d at least last a move or two. Yet again, a single punch was all it took. Couldn’t even warm me up, what a disappointment.”

Lü Er retracted his fist, adding insult to injury.

“This can’t be real! Cheng Kang was instantly defeated. He didn’t even finish forming his protective qi!”

“Exactly! Cheng Kang is the Western Radiance Dynasty’s top Immortal Seed. He beats us like we’re his own sons, how could he be so helpless against this guy? I refuse to believe it! This has to be a fluke!”

“Well, now we’re screwed. With our top Immortal Seed utterly crushed, we’re doomed to be trampled by outsiders.”

“And he’s just a doppelgänger! Poor Sixth Princess, all the dignity she fought so hard to reclaim for us has been wasted because of this useless Cheng Kang!”

“To be fair, it’s not entirely Cheng Kang’s fault. That guy’s cultivation is clearly at the late-stage Incarnation Realm. Any of our dynasty’s Immortal Seeds would’ve met the same fate. Looks like first place is his for the taking.”

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“Dammit! A foreign cultivator becoming Yongning Prefecture’s top Immortal Seed? This is a humiliation beyond words!”

“Forget Yongning Province, he’s the Western Radiance Dynasty’s top Immortal Seed now! With all the major factions here, who at the national-level Evergreen Conference can possibly stop him?”

The cultivators below were aghast, their expressions as grim as if they had lost their own parents.

Lin Ran’s face was particularly dark. She wasn’t angry at Cheng Kang for ruining her efforts, she was furious at her own helplessness. Against such overwhelming strength, even if she wanted to reclaim their honor, she was powerless.

“That Cheng Kang was our dynasty’s top Immortal Seed, yet he was taken out in a single punch?”

Within the Honghua Sect’s ranks, Ruan Lingyu rubbed her beautiful eyes in disbelief, her face blank with shock.

“It’s only natural. The speed and power Lü Er displayed were undoubtedly at the late-stage, if not the peak, of the Incarnation Realm.”

Cheng Hongling, who rarely spoke, chimed in.

“How is that possible? If his doppelgänger alone is at the late-stage Incarnation Realm, how strong must his main body be? Is this really something a cultivator under thirty can achieve?”

Yun Fei muttered bitterly.

“If his doppelgänger is already at the late-stage or peak Incarnation Realm, his main body can only be stronger. Doesn’t that make his identity obvious?”

Qin Quan’s tone was grave.

“You mean… you mean he’s one of the nine Nine Great Monsters freaks in the cultivation world?”

Xu Mei’s voice trembled as she ventured a guess.

“Aside from those nine monsters, I’ve never heard of any Immortal Seed whose doppelgänger alone reaches the peak Incarnation Realm.”

Qin Quan confirmed.

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“Then… if his main body were here, could Junior Sister Qi Huang defeat him?”

Ruan Lingyu suddenly turned to Qi Huang with concern.

“Sect Leader Qin, among the Nine Great Monsters of the cultivation world, what’s the highest cultivation level recorded?”

Qi Huang pondered briefly before asking.

“The fourth layer of the Divine Realm.”

Qin Quan answered.

“Then rest assured. As long as they haven’t reached the late-stage Divine Realm, I can defeat them.”

Qi Huang reassured them. If it truly came to that, for the sake of the Golden Fate Blossoms’ seeds, she would no longer hold back. With “Ghost Hair” and her late-stage Divine Ability Realm divine sense assisting her, she was confident in defeating a mid-stage Divine Ability Realm cultivator.

“That’s a relief!”

The group collectively exhaled in relief.

Only Cheng Hongling’s gaze was complicated. There was a time when this doppelgänger of hers needed her protection. Yet, in just two or three years, she had been left far behind. As the main body, she couldn’t help but feel like a failure.

Meanwhile, Lü Er, still standing on the stage, seemed unsatisfied. He strode forward, his arrogance unchecked.

“And this is the Western Radiance Dynasty’s top Immortal Seed? Truly, when the mountain has no tigers, the monkey proclaims itself king.”

Then, with deliberate provocation, he turned to Qi Huang.

“See? This is the importance of bloodline. Inferior bloodlines are simply no match for superior ones!”